Fall support for desks and the like



Jime 26, 1928."

E. BROBERG FALL SUPPORT FOR DESKS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. .5, I925 Patented June 26, 1928.

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ELMER BROBERG, 0F ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORTO E LCO TOOL AND SCREW COB- PORATIO1\T,OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FALL SUPPORT FOR DESKS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed September 5, 1925 Serial No. 54,655.

This invention relates in generalto furniture and has more particularreference to a fall support such as is used on a writing desk or cabinet or on any article of furniture of this character. i

The primary purpose of my invention is to provide an improved fall support characterized by the use of slides adapted to be projected from the desk, case'or, cabinetto an extended position in which to Support the fall when it is swung down, andby the provision of a novel connection between the fall and slides for projecting and retracting the latter when the fall is swung down and up. 7

Another purpose isto so construct the con nections between the fall and slides as to permit quick and easy installation thereof after the writing deskor cabinet has been completely assembled and finished, and also to permit quick and easy removal of said connections at will'for refinishing or for any other reason.

Still another purpose isto provide-connections of the character described so. con structed that they will occupy but minimum space and will not be obstructive or unsightly and which will not interfere -w1th the free use of the writing top of the desk formed by the fall and fall bottom.

I have also aimed to provide improvements of the character'described so constructed as to enable manufacture thereof at a comparatively low cost.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a fall support embodying my in-,

vention'applied to a writing desk; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged'verticalsection showing the connection between one of the fallsupporting slides andthe link which provides the connection between said slide and the fall proper; V j It will be understood that my improvements maybe applied to any article of furniture having a hinged fall or lid such, for example as is used on a writing desk. In illustrating my invention I have shown in a fragmentary way only one end or side of a conventional writing desk, it being understood that the construction is duplicated at the opposite end. The well known parts comprise a case or cabinet having an end 3, a fall bottom 4, and a fall or lid 5 hinged to the fall bottom at 6 and adapted to be thereto .as by means of screws 15. 'plate has an opening16 across which-extends swung down and up, to and from the operthe novel form of connection between the fall and slide, whereby the slide will be projected and retracted automatically by the lowering and raising of the fall.

This connection whichapplies to a slide at each. end of the fall, asiabove mentioned,-

comprises a link designatedgenerally by 8 ,pivotally connectedat =its forward end atv 9 to the ran through means of a suitable I bracket 11, and havinga downwardly turned rear end'12 which extends through a slot 13 in the adjacent end of. the fall bottoms and is detachably. connected to the slide 7.

The link 8 is preferably offlat metal-stock and disposed with its fiat plane vertically in close proximityto the-end 3 and is, furthermore, attachable to and detachable from the slide 7 by movement in the ,plane thereof. As a resultof this the "slot 13 may be quite narrow so as .-to prevent pencils, pens and the like; from falling through, and the link is'out of the .way and unobstructive. The

detachable connection between the link and slide, which characterizes my invention, is

elfected as followsaA sheet metal plate 14 is set into the top of the slide 7 and secured This a .pin 17, the-plate opening and pin being formed by a stamping operation. The down- -turned end 12-of the link is slotted longitudinally as at 18 to provide resilient fingers 19 adaptedto make a snap connection with the vpin 1 7. To facilitate this connection said pin may be slightly rounded and the fingers 19 may be notched or recessed as at 21 for the reception of the pin and for locating the link thereon and providing a pivotal connection therewith. The slide is notched or recessed at 22 to provide clearance for the end of the fingers 19.

It will be manifest from the foregoing that the desk or cabinet may be completely assembled and finished before the link 8 is applied. After installation of the link by connection of the bracket 11 to the fall, the

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. down over the pin 17 into a snap connection slotted or bifurcated end will be pressed therewith, thus pivotally connecting the link to the slide. Since the function of the link is merely to move-the slide 7 forward and backward the connection of the kind disclosed is suiiicient and thoroughly practical;

that the few parts may be produced by stamping operations at a comparatively low" cost.

I claim 1. A device of the character described comprising a link arranged to be pivotally' connected at one end to a desk fall and to extend to a fall-supporting slide to operate the latter, and a plate arranged to be fastened to the slide and having a part procomprising an elongated flat narrow link viding for a quickly attachable and detachable pivotal connection between the link.

and plate','the link being arranged to oper ate through a narrow slot in the fall bottom and the said connection beingsuch'that the attachment or detachment ofthe vlink nllay be accomplished entirely through the S t V v in theplate arranged to be attached to the slide'to which the link is to. be detachably connected has an opening therein for the 'reception of the end of said link, and provides a pivot pinfor the link as an integral part of the plate extending across said in the plate has an opening therein for the C reception of the end'of the link, one side of the opening being arranged to cooperate with a conformed partof the link to pro vide a pivotal detachable connection between the parts. 5

4. A device of the character described comprising a' link arranged to be pivotally connected at one-end to a desk fall and to extend to a fall-supporting slide to operate for replacement in' 2, A deviceas set forth inclaim 1, Where the latter, and a plate arranged to be fastened in a substantially horizontal position on the top of the slide and tobe detachably engaged by-th'e free end of said link, the link] being flat and narrow. and; .having the free end thereof presented edgewise in a substantially vertical plane to the plate so as to pcrinit operation thcrcofthrough a narrow slot in the fall bottonnand the free end of the link being conformed for quick and easy detachable connection with a part of the plate made to cooperat'e therewith, the connection being such that the movement of the link only in the edgewise plane thereof .per-

mitted by the narrow slot" in the fallbottom is sufficient to accomplish the; attachment or'deta chment ofthe'link to and'from the plate.

5. A plate fondetachably connecting a fall supporting link with its slide arranged to'be fastened to the slide and having a nar row slot therein for the edgewi'se reception oftheend of a flat narrowlinl'c for pivotally and detachably connecting the link 'witlithe 7 plate.

6. A device of the character described arranged to bepivotallyconnected at one end to 'adesk fall and curved downwardly in'the edgewise plane thereof at the other end for passage" tlirou'gl1 a narrow slot protachably engaged by the free end [of said link, said link being longitudinally slotted inwardly from the free'end thereof'to provide by the bifurcation a pair of elongated resilient fingers and having a bearing open ing provided therein intersectedb-y the slot and near the open end thereof, and a pivot pin provided on said plate arranged to be-entered through the open end of'said slot for reception in the bearing opening, the connection being such that movement of said link only in the edgewise plane thereof as permittcd by the narrow slot in the fall bottom is sutficient to accomplish the attachment or detachinent thereof to and from the plate.

In witnessof the foregoing "I afiix my 

